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Come Rain or Acqua Alta

We've never been really prepared for getting wet when we visited Venice before. We own more umbrellas we've bought in Venice than we've acquired in South Africa in a lifetime. Certainly the chances of rain on the day is quite high, given Europe's tendency for a downpour every second day. Mental note: Buy rain-proof cover for camera.

I decide to play devil's advocate. 'What if it happens to be the highest acqua alta in history on the day?'

For the uninitiated, acqua alta refers to the unusually high tide that hits the sinking city of Venice every now and again. Lately it's been particularly high, turning St Mark's Square into a huge swimming pool and making shopping by boat quite normal.

Now imagine if I have to cross one hundred bridges in Venice on 24 April, rowing from one bridge to another. Or even just sloshing the route through ankle high water.

So this afternoon Adeline came home with a large package and ceremoniously unpacked it on the kitchen table. It contained two sets of wellies. Not just ordinary wellies, but one set with Impressionist flower patterns on, and the other with a kind of Botticelli fantasy of heaven, or something.

Don't worry everyone, we won't stand out in Venice, there gumboots are style accessories. We may in fact be underdressed, depending on the fashion of the day in waterproof wear.

So come rain or acqua alta the Challenge will go on. In fact, it may just go swimmingly. And we're prepared.